Max and Lissie
by Katiejboggart
Summary: If Max had survived the Mortal war and lived to adulthood. What happens when a dying criminal comes to the institute? Rated T for my plans for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Max and Lissie

The girl looked too small, too innocent, too sick to be a killer. Max had been told to guard her, anyway. It was not his place to question orders, so he sat there in the infirmary while the criminal slept in her hospital bed.

She was not expected to live through the night. The team of shadowhunters that found the girl came too late. She had run into demons in an alleyway and been bitten several times. No amount of iratzes could save her. No one knew her name, though the girl was clearly a shadowhunter, but they had found papers in her pocket identifying her as Amalgeous, a mysterious figure the clave had been hunting for months.

Amalgeous had killed ten nephilim so far. Max had trouble imagining this girl committing one murder, let alone ten. Sure, she looked strong, but she also looked half-starved and exhausted. Then again, perhaps he was wrong, his father liked to say that compassion was his greatest strength and greatest weakness. (He tended to warn him emphatically about the weakness.)

"She would be executed by the clave if she were to live, Max, remember that. It is better that she go this way." His mother had told him, "and she is a monster who killed ten of her own people in cold blood. She deserves none of your kindness or sympathy. I hope that makes your job easier."

Max had nodded grimly at his mother, then. Now, he repeated them silently to himself, wishing he that did not have to guard a dying girl.

A very beautiful dying girl.

He had ordered himself not to look at her, but he did now. Long, sunshine-blond hair. A small nose. Pale skin. He couldn't see what color her eyes were. A part of him was dying to know if they were dark, like his sister's, or gray like his own. She did not take up much space on the bed. It was hard for Max to guess her age. She could have been fifteen or twenty. The criminal was barely breathing, small, infrequent puffs of air disturbing the fabric of the pillow near her mouth.

Maybe he would get lucky, and the next guard would relieve him before he had to watch 'the monster' take her last breath.

Where were the silent brothers? They should have been there hours ago. Max opened the door to the infirmary and peeked out into the hall. Nothing. He heard the click of high heels right before his mother turned the corner.

"Mom, where are the silent brothers?"

"I did not summon them, Maxie."

"Why not! There is a dying girl in here."

"Maxwell...look, she is most likely too far gone, and I told you already, the clave would immediately order her execution if she recovers."

"She would have a trial, though, before that. Right?"

"Yes, but she would be found guilty."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I do, Max."

"At least summon the silent brothers."

Maryse sighed. "Max..."

"She deserves a chance, doesn't she?"

"Fine, if you really want that."

A half hour later, two silent brothers glided into the infirmary in their own unsettling manner, and asked Max to leave the room. After an hour of pacing in the hallway, the brothers called him back inside to tell him the news.

 _There is nothing the brotherhood can do for her._ Brother Enoch spoke quietly into his mind. They left, while Max remained with the girl in the infirmary.

Why did he care so much? Maybe he hated seeing someone helpless. Either way, it would be a long night. Max tried calling Magnus, his brother's warlock boyfriend, thinking he might be able to do something, but he didn't pick up. Neither did Alec.

 _Stupid lovebirds_ he thought grimly.

"Hey, Max. You can go now. I'm here to take over." The next guard took his place.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2.

The alarm clock never failed to startle him awake.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!" It screamed.

"Hell." Said Max. With a groan, he got up and pulled on some clothes, then went to brush his teeth at the bathroom sink. Unbidden, his thoughts turned to the criminal. When had she passed on last night? Did she ever open her eyes? Had she been in pain?

-She must have been. Demon poison tended to be painful. The thought made him sad. Max dragged himself to the kitchen for breakfast, but forgot about his hunger when he saw his frantic mother in the hallway. Her hair, usually immaculate, was a mess. She was speaking into her cell phone with alarming urgency. Most alarming and unusual of all, Maryse Lightwood did not have one speck of make-up on her face.

"Mom, everything okay?" He asked.

"Yes, just an unexpected development, honey."

"What do you mean?"

"Amalgeous survived the night."

"You mean the girl?"

" Yes, the girl!" Without another word, Max took off for the infirmary. He ran so fast that he skidded a little past the right doorway.

Wait. Why had he hurried here? She was a criminal-had committed the worst of sins. Curiosity, he supposed, as he lingered outside the door. He heard his father's deep voice inside-he must have come back from Idris to question the prisoner-part of his job as the inquisitor.

Max scowled to himself as he turned away from the infirmary. He didn't feel like talking to his father, not after the way he had snubbed Alec and refused to interact with Magnus. Robert Lightwood thought that there was something wrong with being gay? Well, Max Lightwood thought that there was something wrong with cheating on your wife.

He decided to grab a piece of toast and wait in his room until his father left before going back to the infirmary.

Mr. Lightwood ended up leaving the New York institute after only half an hour.

 _Shouldn't it take longer than that to interrogate a murderer?_ Max wondered, watching his father from his window as he stepped into a portal to Alicante.

On his second attempt to visit the girl in the infirmary, he met his mother.

"Max, what are you up to here? I thought you would have run off with your friends by now."

"I didn't really feel like 'running around' with them this morning. I saw that dad came to interrogate her. What's been happening? What'd she say?" He was dying to know. Maryse seemed to detect that her son was acting strangely. Her eyes narrowed and regarded him closely as she answered.

"The prisoner is still asleep. Your father tried to come to talk to her and take her to the Silent City to await trial, but he can't do any of that until she is awake, of course."

"So that's why he left so soon."

"Yes."

"But then who was he talking to inside the infirmary? I heard his voice through the door." If Maryse thought it was weird or impolite for her son to listen at doorways, she did not show it.

"Perhaps the silent brothers. They came around this morning to examine her."

"Oh, okay." He replied, even though he had more questions. Maryse seemed to think that an acceptable response and turned around and walked down the corridor towards the library, where her desk was.

Moments later, Max found himself alone in front of the infirmary door.

 _Finally._

He twisted the knob and pushed, wondering what he would find inside. _Was she awake? Would she talk to him?_

Walking quickly to her bedside, he saw the prisoner's small frame still sprawled on the bed, her mess of blond hair spread out on the pillow. Her eyes were still closed. He turned to leave, but then he heard a cough. Max turned around again. She was finally awake, blinking at him with big blue eyes.


End file.
